Vano Zodelava facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivane Zodelava
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| Mayor of Tbilisi | |
| In office 10 August 1998 – 19 April 2004 |
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| President | Eduard Shevardnadze Mikheil Saakashvili |
| Preceded by | Badri Shoshitaishvili |
| Succeeded by | Zurab Chiaberashvili |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 2, 1957 Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union (now Georgia) |
| Died | February 5, 2019 (aged 61) Tbilisi |
| Political party | Union of Citizens of Georgia |
| Alma mater | Tbilisi State University |
Ivane "Vano" Zodelava (Georgian: ივანე [ვანო] ზოდელავა) was an important Georgian politician. He was born on May 2, 1957, and passed away on February 5, 2019. He is best known for serving as the Mayor of Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, from August 10, 1998, to April 19, 2004.
Early Life and Career
Ivane Zodelava was born in Tbilisi, which was then part of Soviet Georgia. He studied engineering at Tbilisi State University (TSU) and graduated in 1978. After working briefly at the university, he joined the Komsomol in 1981. The Komsomol was a youth organization linked to the Communist Party in the Soviet Union.
He rose through the ranks of the Communist Party. From 1990 to 1991, he led the Ordzhonikidze district in Tbilisi. After the Soviet Union broke apart, Zodelava worked in private business. Later, he returned to public service. In 1996, he became the head of the Tbilisi Revenue Inspection service. The next year, in 1997, he became Deputy Premier of the Tbilisi Municipality. Before becoming mayor of Tbilisi, he served as the mayor of Poti, a port city in western Georgia, from 1997 to 1998.
Mayor of Tbilisi
On August 10, 1998, Eduard Shevardnadze, who was the President of Georgia, chose Ivane Zodelava to be the Mayor of Tbilisi. During his time as mayor, the city faced many challenges. There were often power outages, which meant electricity would go out frequently. The city's buildings and roads also suffered damage from the 2002 Tbilisi earthquake.
After the local elections in 2002, the Tbilisi City Assembly had many members who were against Zodelava. This group was led by a young politician named Mikheil Saakashvili. The opposition members believed Zodelava was not doing a good job. They wanted him to be removed from his position. On November 15, 2002, the City Assembly voted that they no longer had confidence in the mayor. Because of this, many people in the city government resigned.
However, the City Assembly did not have the legal power to fire the mayor at that time. The president was the only one who could appoint or remove the mayor. President Shevardnadze decided not to replace Zodelava. Zodelava continued to support the president, especially during the controversial parliamentary election in November 2003.
After the Rose Revolution in November 2003, President Shevardnadze resigned. Zodelava remained mayor until April 19, 2004. The new president, Mikheil Saakashvili, then dismissed Zodelava. Zurab Chiaberashvili was appointed as the new mayor.
Later Life
After 2004, Ivane Zodelava stepped away from politics. In July 2017, he was seriously injured in a car accident near Tbilisi. He remained in a coma and sadly passed away on February 5, 2019.
